Repatriation after a devastating volcano eruption

Surrounded by ocean, 48 kilometers from New Zealand’s North Island, tourists eagerly gathered to experience the raw beauty of White Island. What should have been a day fi lled with adventure and excitement soon turned deadly. As the midday sun began to drop, a lethal eruption descended on the island, unapologetically ravaging anyone and anything in its path. LifeFlight was called to aid and repatriate survivors home.

In an extraordinary demonstration of medical capability and coordination, LifeFlight was tasked with a highly complex and demanding air evacuation, successfully repatriating critically ill patients home, in the wake of New Zealand’s White Island volcano exploding. The mission was undertaken by an alliance of local and international agencies, who contracted LifeFlight based on the company’s wealth of experience and knowledge in managing high acuity patients in challenging environments. LifeFlight, along with several other agencies, including the Australian Defence Force, were activated to assist. There were multiple burns patients who required treatment and limited resources to provide this complex care in New Zealand.

The first patient LifeFlight was engaged to evacuate was a man who had suffered severe burns to 45% of his body. He was intubated, breathing through a ventilator and before his fl ight required further surgery and dialysis as a result of damage to his kidneys. While the agencies continued to liaise regarding the patient’s condition and whether he was fi t to fl y, another call came to LifeFlight.

During that call, LifeFlight was engaged to repatriate another survivor of the disaster, who would also be travelling on the same aircraft. The patient had also suffered severe burns and was required to be intubated and ventilated.

As one can imagine, even with the company’s decades of experience in aeromedical transfers and rescues, this mission pushed even the most experienced flight physicians to their limits to ensure the patients were able to return home safely.

Working under extreme conditions against the clock, the crew managed comprehensive briefi ngs with aeromedical crews regarding the logistics of fl ying with two burns victims, both of whom were ventilated and intubated.

LifeFlight’s fleet of Challenger 604 air ambulance jets are already equipped with two stretchers; however, due to the condition of the two patients, an additional medical team and suite of equipment was added to the aircraft. LifeFlight medical teams sourced infusions, infusion pumps and medication required for the trip. Adding to the complexity and urgency was the nature of the burns – a combination of severe steam and acid burns due to the environment on White Island and the high amount of sulfur.

With the flight back to Sydney, Australia expected to take a few hours, Repose air mattresses were utilised to help mitigate pressure injuries as a result of the patients’ altered skin integrity. As on all LifeFlight airlifts, oxygen bottles were fi lled on both stretcher bases to ensure that in an emergency, ample oxygen was available.

Upon arrival in Christchurch, both medical teams and equipment were transported by ambulance to Christchurch Hospital, where the two patients were transferred onto stretchers and loaded. Timings were considered with the road transfer back to the aircraft to ensure both patients would not arrive at the same time and be exposed to the cold while waiting to be loaded into the jet.

While LifeFlight’s medical team were prepared for a potential deterioration of the patients’ condition throughout the fl ight, both remained stable and ICU treatment continued. Once the aircraft landed in Sydney, ambulances transported both patients and teams to the local hospital where they were safely transferred to the ICU teams.

Visiting White Island was once described in tourism pamphlets as a once in a lifetime experience. On that fateful day of 9 December 2019, 47 tourists visited the active volcano. Only 25 would make it home alive, many with devastating lifelong injuries. LifeFlight’s involvement in the wake of the tragedy stands out to the team as many barriers both medically and operationally were overcome – a true testament to everyone involved.